Dust removing means for feeders



Oct. 20, 1942. L. E. HARPER 2,299,623

DUST REMOVING MEANS FOR FEEDERS Filed June 5, 1940 38116612841189". 1

lNVENTO R Lynda: [fa/per BY 1PM ATTORNEY 06L 20, 1942. HARPER 2,299,623

DUST REMOVING MEANS FOR FEEDERS Filed June 5, 19.40

a Shets-Sheet 2 g INVENTOR Lyndusfi. Harper ATTORNEY Oct. 20, 1942.HARPER 2,299,623

I v DUs'i REMOVING MEANS FOR FEEDERS Filed June 5, 1940 I S Sheets-Sheet3 INVENTOR Ly0dwHOrpcr WXFM ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE DUST REMOVING MEANS FOR FEEDERS Lyndus E. Harper,Kansas City, Mo.

Application June 5, 1940, Serial No. 338,917

4 Claims.

My invention relates to devices for feeding dry materials, such aschemicals and other solid materials, in a finely divided form, andparticularly to dust removing means for such feeding devices.

In feeding devices such as the type shown in the patent to Elmer E.Harper, No. 1,783,423, patented December 2, 1930, the material is fed bygravity to the feeding device from a hopper, which hopper is providedwith means for agitating the material that is contained therein, saidfeeding means being adjustable to provide a desired rate of feed of thematerial from the hopper to a suitable receptacle where the material isacted on in some manner, as, for example, by a liquid contained therein,to form a solution of the solid material in the liquid, or to slakelime, for example. The hopper is either continuously or periodicallyfilled with the finely divided, or otherwise broken up, dry material andthe filling of the hopper is usually accomplished from above the top ofthe hopper of the feeding device, by gravity. This necessitates theprovision of storage facilities for the material to be fed at a levelabove the top of the feeding device, so that said material can bereadily supplied to the hopper thereof. The provision of such storagefacilities is often found to involve considerable expense, and also insome regions it is not desirable to store heavy loads of materials at aconsiderable elevation above the ground level. It is accordingly one ofthe purposes of my invention to provide a feeding apparatus that isprovided with means whereby material can be supp-lied to the same fromsubstantially the level of the surface upon which the feeding device ismounted, such as a floor that may be, for instance, at the ground level.

Whether the material is supplied from above the feeding device bygravity, or supplied from the level of the supporting surface for thefeeding device by suitable means to the top of the hopper that formspart of the feeding device, and whether it is finely divided or is inlarger particles, considerable dust is created in the handling of thedry material and supplying the same to the feeding device. It isaccordingly necessary to collect the dust that is created or to carry itaway in some manner, so that it does not cause undesirable conditionsaround the feeding apparatus, and it is a purpose of my invention toproi vide dust collecting means for feeding apparatus for such dryfinely divided materials, or other dry materials that contain dust, thatprevents the loss of any of the material that may be carried in eludingthe hopper and the means for supplying finely divided, or other drymaterial particles, or pieces, to the hopper from the ground level, orfloor, upon which the feeding apparatus is mounted;

It is a further purpose of my invention to pro vide dust collectingmeans of the above mentioned character, that is simple in constructionand which comprises tubular fabric members of a bag-like character thatreceive the dust-laden air within the same, said air being drawn throughthe fabric of said members by suitable means for inducing a drafttherethrough, such as an ex haust fan, the dust collecting, orremaining, on the interior of the tubular or bag-like members, and theair cleaned of dust passing through the walls thereof and out throughthe air exhausting means. It is a particular feature of my invention toprovide such tubular, or bag-like, members. so mounted relative to thefeeding appara tus and the means for supplying the dry solid materialthereto, that any dust collected therein will be returned to thesupplying means for the solid dry material, and carried into the feedingmeans along with the other material that is ordinarily fed by themachine.

It is another important purpose of my invention to provide means forelevating dry finely divided solid material, or broken up dry materialcontaining larger particles, from a level substantially the same as thebase of the feeding apparatus, to a point above the upper end of thehopper means provided for the feeding apparatus, together with means forconveying said material by gravity, after the same has been elevated,into said hopper that supplies the feeding means, my improved apparatusbeing particularly adapted for use where the broken up or finely divideddry solid material is supplied in packages, or bags, and these have tobe emptied into the apparatus to fill the hopper of the feeding means.

It is a particular purpose of my invention to provide means forpreventing dust from escaping from the point at which the material issupplied to the elevating mechanism, as well as preventing escape ofdust from the elevating mechanism, or from the hopper of the feedingmechanism, so that the dust-laden air in the apparatus, including thehopper above the feeding means, the elevating and conveying means andthe hopper at the lower end of the elevating means, is carried todustcollecting means and the dust there separated from the air andcollected so that the dust is not lost and any undesirable dustydust-laden air within the feeding apparatus, incondition thatwould'otherwise exist around the apparatus is avoided. This isaccomplished by providing a housing that extends from the hopper at thebottom of the elevating means to the hopper for the feeding means, andenclosing said hopper for the feeding means, so that suction created byair exhausting means, and the dust collecting means that is connectedwith the housing for the elevating means, will be effective throughoutthe housed apparatus above referred to, to

cause dust-laden air to be drawn toward and into the dust collectingmeans.

It is another purpose of my invention to provide dust collecting meansmounted above the hopper of a feeding device of the above mentionedcharacter, that is not provided with elevating means, so that any dustthat is collected therein can be discharged directly into the hopper bygravity and not lost, said dust collecting means withdrawing all thedust-laden air from the hopper after the material is emptied into thesame through a suitable opening in the top thereof.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as thedescription of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood,howver, that I do not intend to limit myself to the particular detailsshown or described, except as defined in the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a View in side elevation, partly broken away, of my combinedelevating, dust removing and feeding means for dry finely divided solidor dusty materials.

Fig. 2 is a View in elevation, taken at right angles to Fig. 1, asviewed from the left side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through a portion of theelevator and the dust collecting means, on an enlarged scale, saidsection being taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section, on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale, ofthe lower end portion of one of the dust collecting bags.

Fig. 8 is a view in vertical side elevation of a modified form of myapparatus, partly broken away.

Fig. 9 is a section taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8 on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section taken on the line l9| ll of Fig. 9, and

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary elevational view taken at right angles to Fig.8, as viewed from the right of Fig. 8.

Referring in detail to the drawings, in the form of the invention shownin Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, is shown a feeding device 20, which is ofthe general type shown in the patent to Elmer E. Harper, No. 1,783,423,patented December 2, 1930', said feeding device having a base portion.2], which may be mounted on any suitable support and which mayconstitute a sl-aking vessel having stirring means 2i. Said feedingdevice has a hopper 22, from which dry dusty finely divided or broken upsolid material is fed by gravity to the feeding mechanism, which feedingmechanism is actuated by suitable means, such as the motor 23. While thefeeding means described in the above mentioned patent is referred toherein,

by way of example, it is obvious that any adjustable feeding device thatsupplies controlled quantities of a solid finely divided material, ordry dusty broken up material, can be used as part of my invention.

The hopper 22 is provided with a hinged closure member 24, by means ofwhich access can be had to the top of the hopper and material can be fedinto the same from above, if desired, or the contents of the hopper canbe inspected through the opening controlled by said closure member 24.Connected in dust tight relation with the top wall 25 of the hopper 24is the discharge end 26 of an enclosed chute 21, which in turn isconnected in dust tight relation with a conveyor housing 28 in anysuitable manner, the same I being shown as being made a permanent partof the conveyor housing 28 in the drawings, said conveyor housing havinga cap, or top end portion 29, which is detachably mounted on thevertical housing 28 at the top thereof, by means of flanges on saidmembers 28 and 29 and on the chute 21, as illustrated in the drawings.

The conveyor housing also has a lower or bottom section 30, which issimilarly connected with the main body portion 28 of the housing. Saidlow section 36 is provided with a hopper 3i, commonly referred to as aboot, which has an opening 32, through which finely divided or other drymaterial can be supplied to the elevating means within the conveyor. Thebottom section, or base member, 30 of the housing may be mounted on acommon base, with the base portion 21 of the feeding device 20, so thatthe entire apparatus may be made portable, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.It is, of course, to be understood that the material dumped into thehopper, or boot, 3! will collect in the bottom of the lower or bottomsection 30 of the conveyor housing, which thus serves as part of thehopper for the material that is to be elevated.

The elevating means comprises a plurality of bucket members 33, whichare mounted on a chain 34 in a well known manner, said bucket conveyor,or elevator, operating in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1, soas to carry the material from the hopper made up of the boot portion 3i,and the lower section 38 of the elevator housing to the top of thehousing into the top member 29, where said bucket members 33 are tiltedor dumped so as to discharge the contents thereof by gravity into thechute 27 and thus by gravity into the hopper 22. Suitable adjusting anddriving means is provided for the elevator, comprising a lower sprocket35 over which the conveyor chain 34 operates, which is mounted on ashaft 35 that is adjustable by means of an adjusting screw 3'! mountedin a suitable bracket 38 for adjusting the tension on the chain 34. Saidsprocket chain 34 also operates over an upper sprocket wheel 39, whichis mounted on a shaft 40 that has a sprocket 4i mounted thereon, driventhrough the chain 42 operating over the sprocket 43 provided on a speedreduction device 44, which is driven by the motor 45.

It will be obvious from the above that from the mouth 32 of the boot 3|to the hopper 22 of the feeding device 20, the entire conveyingmechanism is enclosed within a housing and that this housing isconnected substantially dust tight with the housing of the feedingdevice 23 at the hopper 22. Accordingly any current of air creating asuction in the vertical housing 23 of the ele- Vator will also create asuction, or draft, in the feeding device, the gravity conveyor 21 andthe boot 3I,that will cause any dust-laden air to travel toward themeans creating the suction, or draft. Accordingly, dust collecting meansassociated with such suction, or draft, creating means will serve tocarry all dust-laden air away from all parts of the mechanism, throughwhich the same could escape, such as the opening 32 and the door, orclosure, 24 for the hopper 22.

My improved dust collecting means 46 is mounted adjacent one side of thevertical housing 28 of the elevator and comprises a chamber 41 separatedfrom the housing 29 by a wall 48. The chamber 41 is provided with a topwall 49, with end walls 50, and with a door that is provided withsuitable gasket means 52, to provide a chamber that is substantiallyfluid tight, except for certain inlet openings in the bottom wall53wthereof, and a discharge opening 54 in one of the end walls 58, saiddoor, or closure, 5| being shown as being hinged to one of the walls 58and engaging a flange 55 on the other wall 50.

The top wall 49 is provided with a plurality of brackets 56, made in theform of angle bars,

which have openings 51 therein for receiving the hook-like members 58that are provided, extending from the closed top ends 59 of the tubularbag-like members 80. It will be noted upon reference to Figs. 4 and 5that the bag-like members 50 are arranged in staggered relation to eachother, and that the same have open ends 6!, which extend through inlets52, provided in said bottom wall 53. The construction of the open lowerend portion of the bag-like member 66 and its connection with the inlet62 is shown more detail in Fig. '7. Said bag-like member 68, preferably,has a stiffening ring 63 provided in a pocket 64 that is sewed into thelower open end edge of the member 60, which can be forced through theinlet opening 62 in the wall 53, the H cloth of which the bag-likemember Bil is made serving as gasket means to provide a substantiallydust tight connection between the outer surface of the mouth portion SIof the bag-like member and wall of the opening 62.

Below the chamber 41 the dust collector is provided with a conduit 65,which is connected with the elevator housing 28 through an opening 66,and which has an inclined wall 61 that extends from a connection with adownwardly directed flange 58 on the chamber 41 to the housing 28.Preferably, the wall 6! connects directly with a vertical wall portion88, which is part of the housing 28, and which terminates in the fiangeby means of which the housing 28 is connected with the lower housingportion 38, the connection being shown in Fig. 4 as being made by meansof angle members 10, fastened in fixed relation on the conveyor housingsectionsand bolted together by means of the securing elements 1 I.

Secured to the dust collector against the wall 58 thereof having theopening 54, is an exhaust fan 12 of the rotary blower type having adischarge outlet 13 and an intake opening 14, which is aligned with theopening 54. The exhaust fan 12 will withdraw air from the chamber 41through the opening 54. The tubular fabric members having the closedends 59 and the open ends 6! are made of a fabric material that isreadily pervious to air, but substantially impervious to dust of thecharacter resulting from the handling of the finely divided solidmaterial acted on by the apparatus. Accordingly the action of theexhaust fan 12 will cause the tubular bag-like member 68 to be distendedwhile the same is operating, but these will have a tendency to collapse,due to the fact that the sameare merely hung from the brackets 56 bymeans of the hooks 58, except at their lower ends 51 where the openingtherein will be maintained in distended position by means of thestiffening ring 63. Accordingly, when the exhaust fan 12 is operatingdust-laden air will be withdrawn from the vertical elevator leg, orhousing, 28 from the housing portion 38, the boot 3|, the gravityconveyor, or chute, 21 and the hopper 22, through the conduit and intothe bag-like members 60, where the dust will adhere to the walls of thebag-like members 69 and the air will pass therethrough and through theopening 54 and the exhaust fan to be discharged from the dischargeopening 13. However, when the exhaust fan is halted, the bag-likemembers 60 will collapse and the dust therein, which has been adheringto the fabric walls thereof, because of the suction exerted by theexhaust fan, will drop off and pass through the bottom open ends 5! ofthe bag-like members and down the inclined wall 61' of the conduit intothe conveyor housing 28, and from that into the portion 38 thereof andthe hopper formed thereby in the bottom of the conveyor housing to bepicked up by the buckets 33 and carried to the feeding apparatus. Thusnone of the material that is collected by the dust collecting means willbe lost, but it will pass into the feeding device and be utilized withthe other material that passes into the hopper 22 in said feeding device28.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, feedingmeans 88 for feeding finely divided solid material into a trough, orsimilar member, 8| at a controlled rate is shown, said means comprisinga pair of oppositely directed conveyor screws 82 and 83, which aremounted in the lower portion of a hopper 84, which hopper is mountedwithin a housing 85 for the entire feeding apparatus, which is closed bymeans of a door 86 providing access to the feeding apparatus foradjusting and similar purposes, said housing being also provided with ahinged closure 81 on the top thereof, through which finely divided solidmaterial can be supplied to the hopper 84. The top wall 88 of thehousing 85 is provided with openings in which the sleevelike members 89are mounted in fixed position. Said sleeve-like members 89 are fixed tothe bottom wall 53 of a dust collector, which is mounted in fixedposition on the top wall 88 with the sleeve-like members 89 extendingthrough openings in said top wall 88, and said sleeve-like members 89are mounted in openings in the bottom wall 53 of the dust collector, bywelding or in any other desired manner, and serve as inlets into thedust collector bags, or tubular members, in a similar manner to theinlets 82.

The dust collector housing is provided with a wall 48', the top wall 49and a closure member 5!, corresponding substantially to the parts cor--respondingly numbered in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive. Said dust collectorfurther has end walls 50, one of which has an opening 54 therein leadingto the exhaust fan 12 in the same manner as previously described, saidexhaust fan having the discharge or outlet conduit 73. Aslightlydifferent mounting and arrangement of bag-like members is shownin Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, however, said bag-like members beingmounted by means of brackets 56', similar to the brackets 55, and bymeans of hook-like members 58 that are providcd on the tubular fabricmembers 60', which have closed top ends 59, just as do the members 6!]described in connection with Figs. 1 to 7, inclusive. However, themembers 60 are shown as being shorter and somewhat larger in diameterthan the members 60. Also said members 69] are connected in a differentmanner with the sleeve like members 89 than the tubular members 60 arewith the inlet openings 62. A split clamping ring 90 surrounds the loweropen end of each tubular member 60', said tubular member passing overthe sleeve-like member 89 to surround the same, and the clamping ring 90is then tightened up around the lower open end of said tubular member 66by means of suitable clamping means, such as the bolt and nut 9|,passing through suitable perforated ears in the clamping ring 90, so asto provide a substantially dust tight joint between the sleeve-likemembers 89 and the lower open end of the bag-like member 66 associatedtherewith. The membr 60' is, however, of a tubular character andelongated similarly to the member 65 and is made of similar material andoperates in substantially the same manner when suction is createdthrough the opening 54 by means of the exhaust fan 12, which is drivenby means of a suitable motor, as illustrated. It will also be obviousthat any dust-laden air will be drawn out of the hopper 84 within thehousing 85 through the passages in the sleeve-like members 39 into thebag-like members, and that the air will pass through the walls of thebag-like members and the dust will adhere to the inner faces of saidbag-like members, the air with the dust removed therefrom passing intothe chamber 41 and through the opening 54 and out through the dischargepipe 13 of the exhaust fan. It will be obvious that the members 60' areheld distended in a similar manner to the members 60 when the exhaustfan is operating and will collapse in a similar manner when the exhaustfan is stopped, so as to permit the dust that has adhered to theinterior of the tubular fabric members 60 to drop through the fabricmembers 89 into the hopper 84 to be utilized along with the material inthe hopper 84 to be acted on by the feeding means 80 along with thematerial that has been otherwise placed in the hopper 84.

What I claim is:

1. A portable self supporting unit for feeding finely divided solidmaterial to a liquid from a point lower than the surface of said liquid,comprising an upstanding housing having means therein for feeding saidmaterial to said liquid by gravity at a controlled rate, means forsupplying said finely divided solid material to said feeding means,comprising a lower hopper adjacent said housing but spaced therefrom, anelevator comprising an endless series of buckets, a vertical housing forsaid elevator in which said buckets travel fixed to and extendingupwardly from said lower hopper to above the top of said elevator, theupper end of said vertical housing being closed, said buckets receivingfinely divided solid material from said lower hopper, an upper hopperwithin said upstanding housing above said feeding means, said elevatorextending above said upper hopper, and an enclosed chute fixedlyconnected with said vertical housing and with said upstanding housingand extending obliquely downwardly from one side of said verticalhousing near the top thereof to said upstanding housing and discharginginto said upper hopper, said chute receiving material discharged fromsaid buckets and conveying said material to said upper hopper bygravity, said upper hopper discharging said material into said feedingmeans by gravity, said chute holding said housings in relatively fixedside by side spaced relation for mounting the bottom of said upstandinghousing and said lower hopper at a common level on a common support.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, means for feeding drymaterial containing dust at a controlled rate to a liquid including anupper hopper, means in the bottom of said upper hopper for controllingdischarge from said upper hopper to said liquid by gravity, a lowerhopper below and at one side of said upper hopper, means for supplyingsaid material to said lower hopper, an upstanding elevator housing onsaid lower hopper extending above said upper hopper, an elevator in saidupstanding housing, an enclosed chute in open communication and dusttight connection with said elevator housing, said upper hopper having anenclosure leading to said enclosed chute, said chute being in opencommunication with said upper hopper and in dust tight connection withsaid enclosure, and a dust collecting device comprising a chamber havingdust collecting means therein and having dust laden air inlet meansleading from said elevator housing, said dust collecting meanscomprising filters positioned above said air inlet means, suction meansfor draw ng dust laden air through said air inlet means and through saidfilters and means for cutting off said suction means, said filters beingso constructed and arranged that when said suction means is operatingdust wil1 be retained on said filters and when the suction is cut off thcollected dust wil1 drop from said filters through said inlet mean intosaid elevator housing.

3. The combination with means for feeding finely divided solid materialat a controlled rate by gravity, of means for supplying said finelydivided solid materia1 to said feeding means comprising an elevator,means for supplying said material to said elevator and a hopper for saidfeeding means into which said elevator discharges, housing means forsaid feeding means, hopper and elevator in continuous open communicationand dust tight connection with each other, and a dust collecting deviceconnected with the housing means for said elevator, said dust collectingdevice comprising a chamber adjacent said elevator housing, means havingdust collecting means therein open to discharge dust at the bottomthereof, and a combined dust-laden air and collected dust conduitleading laterally and upwardly from said elevator housing means into theopen bottom of said dust collecting means, said dust collecting meanscomprising filters positioned above said conduit, suction means fordrawing dust-laden air through said conduit and filters, and means forcutting off said suction means, said filters being so constructed andarranged that when said suction means is operating dust will be retainedon said filters, and when the suction is out off the dust will drop fromsaid filters through said conduit into said elevator housing.

4. The combination with means for feeding dry material containing dust,of means for supplying upper hopper, said elevator extending above saidupper hopper, enclosed means conveying material discharged from saidbuckets to said upper hop.- per by gravity, said enclosed meansproviding a conduit in open communication with said hous ing, said upperhopper discharging said material into said feeding means by gravity, achamber adjacent said housing, a conduit leading from said verticalhousing and continuously open thereto having a bottom wall inclinedtoward said housing, and dust collecting means in said chamber open atthe bottom thereof to said conduit above said inclined bottom wall anddischarging collected dust into said housing through said conduit downsaid inclined wall by gravity, said dust collecting means comprisingfilters positioned above said conduit, suction means for drawingdust-laden air through said conduit and filters and means for cuttingoff said suction means, said filters being so constructed and arrangedthat when said suction 'means is operating dust will be retained on saidfilters, and when the suction is cut ofi the dust will drop from saidfilters through said conduit into said elevator housing.

LYNDUS E. HARPER.

